Humility is a interesting word and I believe it has given humble people a “less than” rap in our society . The synonyms in the dictionary are submissive, meek, lowly…….HMMM , not what I believe is humility. A definition I thought was getting closer to what I perceive. Humility is “the quality of being modest and respectful, a righteous virtue”. Then I read on and it described humility as an egoless self. HMMMM, egoless self , I don’t know …..maybe there a place for a balanced ego?

Here are a few quotes that made sense me. Take 5 minutes (1 minute each question) to contemplate on how these statement may impact your life.

“Humility fights against excessive self pride and ego stroking”. Think about a situation that excessive self pride took over your being. What action would you like to have done differently in this encounter?

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own innate powers you cannot be successful or happy!” In what situation did you doubt your abilities? What thoughts and actions could you have recruited of your humble but reasonable confidence and innate powers to make you happier or more content.

“The higher we are placed, the humbler we could walk” What an idealic thought. Maybe it would be grand for all leaders of the world to examine this thought? Wow, a lot of responsibility on us who choose to find higher places of leadership in life? Where in your life of leadership did you walk humbly? (parent, friend, politician, teacher, daughter, son etc).

A famous statement in therapy is “In my humble opinion…..then you honestly try to communicate with balanced ego how you feel….”. Is there someone you would like to start a heartfelt dialogue using this format?

“Swallow your pride occasionally, it is not fattening,” Holy man, holy woman.. How often do we want to get the last fighting word in to make our point? How often do we stand our “ground” in stupid situations. Try to Remember a situation in your life that you could have been more humble and let go of your pride. Is there a voice to communicate this to that person?

In closing…..”humility shines like a diamond in a royal crown”. …..wear it well..

Have you ever felt…”I am not enough”….. society has said it, my Mom and Dad have said it, my children or friends have blasted it into my brain that I needed to be more. Take a break and absorb this poem by Danna Faulds

It is enough to offer love,
No matter how imperfectly received or given.
It’s enough to try and fail at a difficult task; enough
To fall and rise and stumble, sigh and start to walk however slowly, in the direction the soul (not the mind) points.
It’s enough to seek peace and find pain, to gain nothing but the vision of the truth , and take the long way home.
It’s enough to hear the voice of fear and hide…or seek it out and face the shame or shadows.
It’s enough to set out to tame demons and watch them multiple instead.
It’s enough to be buffeted by the winds of change and not be blown over.
I and you and all of us are more than enough .

Go forth, be enough, and perhaps grow in your light and open yourself to light and love.

Do you want to live to be over 100 with good health and a positive attitude towards life ?

In the book “The Blue Zones” the author Dan Buettner identifies the places in the world where the most centurions exist. Think Sardenia, Italy, Loma Linda, California, Nosura Peninsula in Costa Rico, Okinawa Japan, a small island in Greece for living a long life. In each of these destinations there were commonalities of behaviours, lifestyles and attitudes. These are called “the nine power influencers of longevity. “

Let me share them with you….

Move naturally and often! Get up and garden, walk briskly, hike a mountain, bend and stretch in yoga.

Have purpose! In yoga the 7th chakra is our energy center of purpose, the center where we ask ourselves “why am I on this earth, what legacy would I like to leave the world.” Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor, and author of “Man,s search of meaning” identifies common characteristic of the survivors. He found people with a purpose,no matter what it was,survived the longest.

Know you belong! Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs identifies the base of his pyramid to self actualization is water, food, shelter. The next rung of the pyramid in reaching ” the great self” is feeling an integral part of something bigger than yourself.

Engage often with loved ones! Compassion, gratitude and total appreciation for family and friends brings richness to our lives.

Find your positive cheerful tribe! Living with negative, unhappy, disgruntled people eats at your core fiber of goodness and joy. Walk away from these humans and find a new tribe.

So how did you do?

I think I will be around for the 100th celebration. Come and practice yoga with me on that day!

Happy fall 2014! I am truly in awe of the light and warmth I have recieved this summer .

It seems that I am surrounded by my own dynamic spirit, unusual happenings and questioning yoga students wondering what the future holds and what it will look like. Will it be familiar or different? Sometimes the change of life and environment, which is a natural evolution, is filled with fear and yet wonderful excitement of what could be. Be brave and let go of the past to be free, or why not search out new ways of living to experience cleansing and revitalization.

QUOTES AND POEMS TO LET GO!

I adore and live by this scary quote:

“getting over a difficult or new situation is much like crossing the monkey bars. You have to “let go” at some point in order to move forward” – author unknown

When I am in times of trepidation and change, I re-read a poem by Danna Faulds.

Let go of the ways you thought life would unfold
The holding of plans, or dreams or expectation.
Let It all go!
Save your strength to swim with the tide.
The choice to fight what is here before you now
will only result in struggle and a desperate attempt to flee from the energy you long for.
Let go! Let go!
Let it all go and flow with grace that washes through your days
whether you receive it gently or with all your quills raised to defend against invaders.
Take this upon faith: the mind may never find the explanation that it seeks,
but you will move forward nonetheless.
Let go, and let the wave’s crest carry you to unknown shores,
beyond your wildest dreams or destinations.
Let it all go and find the place of rest and peace and certain transformation.

My mantra when I feel defeated or grief stricken

“letting go isn’t about giving up. It’s about accepting that there are things that cannot be” – author unknown

Why not “let go”and journey to of Melaque Mexico to practise yoga, hop on a bike, swim in the warm ocean, lie by a magnificent pool and read your kindle, laugh until your stomach hurts , quiet your mind in the lush Green surroundings hearing the ocean waves or dance like there is no tomorrow.

In my restorative class on Gambier Island this past weekend, here are some of the thoughts I shared:

“I believe the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our sense of well-being. Cultivating a close warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace.” Dalai Lama

“As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery . . . we have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace. The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness.” Dalai Lama

Loving Kindness (adapted from BuddhaNet.net) as a meditation practice, brings about positive change while developing the quality of loving acceptance. The four qualities of love are:

Friendliness – warmth that reaches out and embraces others.

Compassion – as loving kindness practice matures it becomes compassion, as one empathizes with other peoples difficulties.

Appreciative Joy – the positive experience of empathy is an appreciation of other people’s good qualities or good fortune, or appreciative joy, rather than feels of jealousy towards them.

Equanimity – remaining caring towards everyone with an equal spread of loving feelings and acceptance in all situations and relationships.

May you be free of animosity, oppression, trouble and may you look after yourself with ease.

I want to be engaged, alive, excited about keeping memories, experience each moment with clarity and passion for a lucid, active long life. Here are some tips to potentially keep your brain in working order. These highlights are from the February 2014 Nutrition Action Healthletter, an excellent source of healthy lifestyle information.

WATCH YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE and BLOOD sugar – high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes takes a toll on the brain and is a risk factor for latter life cognitive impairment.

LOSE WEIGHT – a western diet of overeating and gaining excess pounds may cause high blood insulin which research is leaning towards the possible decrease in cognitive abilities as one ages. Try the intermittent diet. Two days a week (ie. Tuesday and Wednesday) eat 250 grams of lean protein (ie.black beans, chick peas, skinless chicken), 3 servings of low fat dairy (yogurt, milk) 4 servings of low carb vegetables (ie brocolli , kale, spinach, peppers, tomatoes). Intermittent fasting not only increases brain levels of protein that stimulate the growth of new brain cells and connection between them it also causes weight lose. The other five days cut out one habit ie. cut out a dessert, an alcoholic beverage, cream sauce or white pasta or bread.

GET MOVING – walk briskly, go to Zumba or aerobic classes, elevate your pulse so you are huffing and puffing when you are moving. Try to create space on your calender for 4 times a week for a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes a day. Exercise may expand brain volume and protect the cells that line blood vessels.

USE YOUR NOGGIN – play suduco, bridge, read books that introduce new concepts of life, engage in social activities, develop your intellectual powers, care and connect. By doing this you are developing cognitive reserve for latter life.

SLEEP – A study in mice show mice who sleep continuously found that the brain cells expanded from 14 % to 23% , which may make it easier for toxic waste products to be flushed out of the brain. The transference to human has not been proven. Try to have 6-8 hours a night. It may produce positive effects for your brain a hormone called leptin is produced which helps in weight control. Too early in the research to be conclusive.

CAFFEINE – Caffiene may protect your brain against cognitive decline. A study showed drinking 4 to 5 cups of coffee like Maxwell House (500 milligrams a day) or two tall specialty house coffees ( ie Starbucks 520 milligrams) may be associated with memory preservation. Too early in the research to be conclusive.

VITAMIN D – studies have shown that people with low blood levels of vitamin D have a greater risk of dementia. Still in the evaluating stage.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT – keeping a lid on your blood sugar and blood pressure. Eat a diet based on OmniHeart and Dash studies. It is rich in vegetables, fruits and fiber. Low in sugar carbs and saturated fats . . . . based on 2100 calories a day:

Poultry and fish- 120g (ie. salmon max 2 times a week, trout,mackerel ,baked chicken with no skin, shrimp max 1 time a week)

Oils and fats – 2 tbs (olive oil)

Desserts and sweets – 2 (small oatmeal cookie, high fiber granola bar- note: this would use up 1 serving of oil)

Wild card – 1 (one more of above )

Pick one or two behaviors from the list above and concentrate on modifying these behaviors over a 90 day period. If you fall off the wagon, climb back on. Don’t waste energy or brain power in beating yourself up.

Three cheers for you and all you do to improve your smarts. I wish you a Long and healthy life filled with happy memories and moment to moment sharpness.

Namaste (may the love and light in me salute the love and light in you).

Have you ever felt…”I am not enough”….. society has said it, my Mom and Dad have said it, my children or friends have blasted it into my brain that I needed to be more. Take a break and absorb this poem by Danna Faulds

It is enough to offer love,
No matter how imperfectly received or given.
It’s enough to try and fail at a difficult task; enough
To fall and rise and stumble, sigh and start to walk however slowly, in the direction the soul (not the mind) points.
It’s enough to seek peace and find pain, to gain nothing but the vision of the truth, and take the long way home.Continue reading »

A question for you!

If you had a pie shape and you were to divide the pie into percentages……what percentage of your life do you live in the past,what percentage of your life do you live in the future and what percentage of your life do you live in the present.

If you live mostly in the past you may experience shame and guilt of what you didn’t or should have done (a useless self destructive emotions) or you may experience envy of your past youth or your fleeting fame of your heyday (a self defeating emotion).

If you live mostly in the future you may experience intense, maybe irrational fear of what will be..getting sick, losing your youth,not having enough money to live.

Yes, the past is grand…..those cherishable memories of family, friends and events. Yes, the future is grand ….the planning of trips and exciting adventures.Continue reading »

On Wednesday, I did a keynote presentation for an AGM at a corporate site. It was the first time doing this where I shared my personal story.

The motivator behind my decision to deliver this topic was a TedX video with researcher Brene Brown, a Doctor who researches vulnerability and shame. But more importantly than her title, she is an honest, real and dynamic human with wise words to ponder!